There was a rare and fleeting moment Sunday in frigid Foxborough when the Jets’ starting quarterback reared back and delivered a throw that made most of the 65,878 in attendance do a double take.

On a 2nd-and-10 to open the second quarter, Bryce Petty — the afterthought, written off and swept aside by a fan base starving for a franchise signal-caller — faked a handoff out of the shotgun, drawing in Patriots linebacker Elandon Roberts. Jets tight end Neal Sterling ran an in-route from the right side of the formation, breaking behind Roberts. Defense end Trey Flowers was late dropping into coverage from the left, creating a tiny window over the middle of the field. Petty fit the dangerous throw in perfectly, connecting with Sterling on a 35-yard catch and run while falling to the ground after a late and illegal hit.

Not even six minutes later, though, Petty showcased why his time with the Jets is most likely coming to an end. On the ensuing possession, Petty once again executed a play action. He rolled to his right, as Bilal Powell sprinted into the flat. It was an easy pitch and catch. Powell was wide open and would have coasted for first-down yardage. But Petty threw well behind his running back for an incompletion. “Oh, Petty,” Jim Nantz said incredulously on the CBS broadcast. “That’s a poor throw,” added Tony Romo.

This is the dichotomy of Petty’s Jets tenure — flashes of greatness side by side with flashes of ineptitude. In three starts filling in for the injured Josh McCown, the former fourth-round pick out of Baylor completed just 51.46% of his passes. He threw one touchdown to three interceptions. In what amounted to his final audition with Gang Green, the 26-year-old Petty wasn’t good enough — and he knows it.

“The games that I’ve gotten have been tough as far as what I know I can do and what I’ve put out there,” Petty said this week, as the Jets headed into a pivotal offseason. “But again, it’s positive because I’ve gotten better every time. So we’re going to continue to get better every time we get in there, learn from those experiences and grow from the strengths.”

Bryce Petty would love to return to the Jets but knows the decision is out of his control.

(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

As he discussed his time with the Jets and his uncertain future Monday in Florham Park, Petty tried to remain upbeat. He’s always said the right things. He never sounded off on his lack of reps in training camp. He kept his head down and continued to work, supporting his teammates and remaining a positive influence in a locker room that coalesced into “something special” this year, as owner Christopher Johnson put it earlier this week.

When asked about potentially parting ways with the teammates who became friends and brothers this season, Petty said, “Disappointment’s not the right word.”

“Coming into this year, it was kind of us against everybody, and so naturally you build a chemistry when you have your back against the wall,” Petty said. “I love each and every one of these guys to death, and so if it is the end of the road, then I’m going to take everything I learned from being with these guys and being around these guys and my growth, and just hope that anything those guys need, they know they can call me. So that’s the greatest part about being a football player in general, and then being in this locker room too.”

Petty wishes he had played better in these three starts. He’s aware this was an opportunity to show not only the Jets but the rest of the league that he has the tools to be an NFL quarterback.

Bryce Petty has started seven games in his two seasons with the Jets.

(Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

“That’s on me, but it’s nothing you can’t fix, and that’s the positive part of it,” Petty said. “It was near misses. You don’t want misses, but when you look back on tape, it’s just little things here and there, whether it’s timing, whether it’s mechanics, whatever. Doesn’t mean I can’t throw. Doesn’t mean I can’t complete them.”

Petty wants to be Jet. He called quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates a “monumental” influence.

But it’s hard to see a scenario where Petty makes the final roster in 2018. The Jets will almost certainly be adding a quarterback this offseason — either through the draft, free agency or trade. And Christian Hackenberg, at 22 years old, is a more viable option for the Jets if they want to keep a developing quarterback in the building.

“I try not to put too much thought into things that I can’t control,” Petty said. “Hopefully it’s here. I want to be here. But if it’s not, that’s okay too. It’s a business. Everybody understands that.”